Meter cabinet



June 17, 1941- w. s. CATH ERWOOD, JR

METER CABINET Filed Oct. 17, 1938 INVENTOR 25a W/Zl/AM s.CAT/iffA/MZJ/E'.

A ORNEY Patented June 17, 1941 METER CABINET William S. Catherwood, In,Brooklyn, N. Y., as-

signer to Metropolitan Device Corporation, a

corporation 01' New York Application October 1'1, 1938, Serial No.235,426

2 Claims.

It has become common practice to mount electric meters and the meterconnections on the outside of the building being served and theinvention herein disclosed relates to a meter cabinet that isparticularly suitable for enclosing such meter and the meterconnections.

An object of the invention is to provide a rainproof meter cabinet forenclosing the meter and meter connections mounted on the outside abuilding. Another object of the invention is to provide such a cabinetin which the cover is hingedly mounted on the cabinet.

These objects and certain advantages that will hereinafter appear arerealized in accordance with this invention by providing a cabinet havinga sheet metal back, top, bottom and side walls. The top of the cabinetextends beyond the front of the cabinet and has a depending flange. Thecover is arranged and constructed such that in the closed position, theupper edge extends adjacent the extended portion of the top and thedepending flange of the top overlaps the upper edge of the cover.

Two such cabinets, embodying the invention, are illustrated in theaccompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a cabinet for enclosing a meter and themeter connections;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same taken along the line 2-2 ofFig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan of the bottom of the cabinet; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, isometric of a modified form of cabinet withpart of the top broken away.

The cabinet illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawing is made of sheetmetal, the several parts preferably being welded together. This cabinetincludes a back i, a top 2, a bottom 3 and side walls 4 and 5. The top 2extends forwardly beyond the edge of the side and bottom walls formingan overhanging portion 2a having a depending flange 21). An angle iron 6secured to the inner surface of the top, adjacent the forward edgethereof, has a flange [in extending parallel to the depending flange 2b.

These two flanges form a groove for the upper edge of a, cover 1 for thecabinet. The cover I has a pressed out section Ia to accommodate thecover of a meter 8 mounted in the cabinet. An opening lb through thisportion of the cover is closed by a transparent medium so that the metermay be read without opening the cover. This cover has side flanges 1cand Id and a bottom flange 16 that overlap, in the closed position ofthe cover, the side walls and the bottom respectively of the cabinet.The cover is hingedly secured to the side wall 4 of the cabinet by meansof hinges 8, 9 and I0. These hinges are identical and consist, as doesthe hinge 8, of a strip of metal having a flat section 8a secured as bywelding to the side wall of the cabinet, and a hookshaped section 8bshaped as shown and extending beyond the edge of the side wall. Thehookshaped portions of the hinges 8, 9 and in are received in elongatedslots ll, 12 and i3 respectively in the flange 1c of the cover. Thelength of each of the slots ll, 12 and I3 is greater than the width ofthe hinges by an amount to permit longitudinal movement of the cover tosuch an extent that the cover may be moved downwardly to clear theflange 2b depending from the top of the cabinet.

When it is desired to open the cabinet, the cover is moved downwardly ofthe cabinet to a position in which it clears the depending flange 2b. Inthis position the cover may be swung about the hinges to open thecabinet. In closing the cabinet, the cover is swung about the hinges tothe closed position and then moved upwardly until the flange 'le engagesthe bottom of the cabinet.

For securing the cover in the upper, closed position, the positionillustrated in the drawing, there is provided a pair of lugs 14 and I5,spaced apart and extending downwardly from the bottom of the cabinet.These lugs are identical. The lug I4 is made from a strip of metal bentat a right angle. One flange Ma is secured to the inner surface of thebottom of the cabinet as by spot welding. The other flange l lb extendsthrough a slot in the bottom of the cabinet. Each of the depending lugshas a slot therethrough to receive tongues i6 and ii.

The tongues are formed as a part of a pivoted arm or lever i8 pivotedcentrally thereof at E9 on the flange 1c of the cover. The lever I8 isshaped as illustrated and has a reinforcing flange l8a which also servesas a finger piece by which the lever may be moved about the pivot.Adjacent the ends of the flange I812 the tongues it and I! extend fromthe flange, at right angles to the flange and from opposite sides of theflange. The tongue l6 has a wedge-shaped bulge lid and the tongue ll hasa similar bulge Ila. When the cover is closed on the cabinet and in itsuppermost position, the lever i8 is turned on its pivot l9 and thetongues l6 and I1 enter the slots provided therefor in the lugs 14 andi5. As the arm I8 is rotated to a position in which the flange l8a isagainst the lugs l4 and ii, the

wedges i611 and Ila acting on the edges of the slots in the lugs forcethe cover to its uppermost position and wedge it in this position. Toopen the cabinet, the arm l8 must be first rotated, to remove thetongues l6 and I! from the slots in the lugs M, and I5.

If desired, aligned openings, such as the openings 20 may be provided inthe flange Ba and either or both of the lugs I4 and 15. Through suchopenings a seal may be placed for sealing the cabinet in the closedposition.

In Fig. 4 of the drawing, the cabinet is illustrated as including a back2!, side walls 22 and 23, a top 24 and a cover 25. In this constructionthe top has a continuous, circumambient depending flange 24a. An anglemember 26 is secured to the top and forms with the flange at the frontof the cabinet a groove for the upper edge of the front of the cover.The side flanges 25a and 25b of the cover overlap the sides of thecabinet and are secured thereto by hinges, such as the hinge 21, similarto those previously described. In this construction a deep, straightcover is provided and stops, such as the stop 28, are provided to engagethe edge of the side wall 23 to position the cover in the closedposition. The hinges are received in slots 29 so that there may belimited longitudinal movement of the'cover. In closing the cover, it isswung about the hinges until the stops 28 engage the edge of the sidewall '23. It is then moved upwardly and locked in the position shown inFig. 4.

It will be noted that the portion 24b of the top 28 that extends overthe cover is slightly wider to embrace the upper edge of the cover. Thecircumambient flange 24a is appropriately shaped for the same purpose.

From the foregoing description of the embodiments of the inventionillustrated in the drawing, it will be seen that by this invention thereis provided a weather-tight cabinet for electrical meters andconnections that is simple in construction, that is shaped andconstructed to exclude rain, and that has the cover permanently securedthereon.

It will be obvious that various changes may be made by those skilled inthe art in the details of the embodiments illustrated in the drawing anddescribed above within the principle and scope of the invention asexpressed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A meter connection cabinet of the type described comprising incombination a cabinet including sheet metal back, top, bottom and sidewalls, the top of the cabinet extending beyond the open end of thecabinet and having a depending flange, a cover for the cabinet includingside flanges arranged to overlap the sides of the cabinet, one 01' saidside flanges having elongated longitudinal slots therethrough, a hingefor each such slot in the flange of the cover, each hinge being securedon the side wall of the cabinet and entering a slot in the flange of thecover and being of substantially less width than the length of the slot,each such slot being so positioned with respect to its respective hingethat when the cover is in closed position the slot will extend upwardlya substantial distance above its respective hinge, whereby the cover haspivotal and longitudinal movement relative to the cabinet, and means formaintaining the cover, when closed, positioned on the cabinet with thedepending flange of the top overlapping the upper edge thereof.

2. A meter connection cabinet 01' the type described comprising incombination a cabinet including a sheet metal back, top, bottom and sidewalls, the top 01 the cabinet extending beyond the opened end of thecabinet and having a depending flange, a cover for the cabinet includingside flanges arranged to overlap the sides of the cabinet, one of saidside flanges having elongated longitudinal slots therethrough, a hingefor each such slot in the flange of the cover, each hinge being securedon the side wall of the cabinet and entering a slot in the flange oi thecover and being of substantially less width than the length of the slot,each such slot being so positioned with respect to its respective hingethat when the cover is in closed position the slot will extend upwardly'a substantial distance above its respective hinge, whereby the cover issecured for pivotal and longitudinal movement relative to the cabinet,a'flange having a pair of openings therethrough on the cover arranged tooverlap the bottom of the cabinet, 8. pair of depending lugs havingopenings therethrough extending from the bottom of the cabinet andarranged to extend through the openings in the flange, and a memberpivotally mounted on the flange of the cover including a pair ofwedgedshaped sections arranged to extend through the opening in the lugand secure the cover in the closed position.

WILLIAM S. CATHERWOOD, Ja.

